Serena Williams Slams Jamie Azzopardi for “Condescending” Fashion Week Remarks

 The fashion world is heating up — and not just on the runway.

Tennis icon and fashion designer Serena Williams has called out Australian influencer Jamie Azzopardi once again, accusing him of being “condescending and dismissive” in his response to the backlash he received during Australian Fashion Week (AFW) 2025.

The drama began earlier this month when Williams criticized Azzopardi for wearing a dress from fast-fashion giant Shein while attending AFW as a representative of her sustainable fashion brand. The move, she said, was “tone-deaf and hypocritical” considering the event’s clear emphasis on ethical fashion and environmental responsibility.

But Azzopardi’s recent comments have only intensified the controversy.

In a follow-up interview with StyleRadar AU, Azzopardi responded to the criticism by saying:

“I love watching Sopha Dopha [a rising TikTok fashion creator], but sometimes she doesn’t do fashion the way I do fashion.”

Though the comment was intended to reflect his personal aesthetic, Williams took offense, interpreting the statement as a veiled dismissal of others’ creative expression — and a deflection from the real issue.

Speaking at a post-AFW sustainability panel, Williams didn’t hold back.

“It’s disappointing to see someone ignore the core message of the event and then speak down to others as if they’re the authority on fashion,” she said. “This wasn’t about taste. It was about ethics. Wearing Shein to a sustainability-focused fashion event and then acting like it’s just a ‘styling choice’ completely misses the point — and frankly, it’s disrespectful.”

She added:

“You can’t break the dress code, ignore the cause, and then turn around and ‘educate’ everyone on fashion. That’s not expression — that’s ego.”

Williams’ remarks were met with loud applause from the audience and sparked a wave of support online. Many fashion critics and ethical fashion advocates sided with her, emphasizing that AFW 2025 wasn’t just about aesthetic — it was a platform for conscious design, ethical production, and pushing back against the exploitative practices that plague much of the fashion industry.

Sopha Dopha, the TikTok creator referenced in Azzopardi’s comment, also weighed in subtly on her Instagram Stories with a simple quote:

“Fashion isn’t about who does it best. It’s about who does it honestly.”

Azzopardi has yet to issue a direct apology or clarification.

As the week wraps up, Serena Williams remains firm in her stance: fashion can be creative, bold, and expressive — but it must also be responsible. And when the platform is meant to spotlight ethics and sustainability, the message matters just as much as the materials.